Disclaimer…It's actually sad how little I own. House isn't mine.

Author's Note… Thank you for all your lovely reviews! Yeah, that chapter was a little tear-jerky. Actually, it was more akin to chopping onions on that space between your mouth and your nose. And please, when you read this, keep the child in mind. Well, enjoy and review!

prinnie…Well, I hope this chapter, well, provides some answers to your fears, if that makes sense. Also, I love that this makes you cry…in a good way! Onion chopping!

Flamesofthemoon…I love getting reviews from you…they always make me happy! Again, with the onion chopping.

For the next two days, Libby hovered between life and death. For every step forward she took, it seemed she took another five or ten back. On Day Twelve, Dr. Lagber had spotted House looking through a file and he had approached him to say that surely if Libby wasn't awake now, then it probably meant that her body was gradually rejecting the heart.

And House knew how much that hurt.

Heck no was he going to leave her side now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

House was dozing off when there was a rustle under the sheets. He was awake in an instant to find a pair of clear, happy blue eyes staring into his.

"Libby."

Faster than anyone thought he could move, House had Libby in his arms. He pressed her little body in his chest and kissed the top of her head, thanking whatever kind of G/d there was (because he sure as heck believed now) that Libby was awake. Relief pulsed through his veins.

Obviously, Libby was a tad confused by this little display. She started to talk, only to notice for the first time she had a breathing tube stuffed down her throat. She motioned for him to take it out.

House did so hesitantly. Over the past couple weeks of his life, House had entertained himself with dreams of what Libby would say when she woke up. He knew from experience that this was stupid as she would probably just gag, he had seen too many families become disappointed when someone defied all odds and had said something stupid like "I need a glass of water" or "stop touching me."

He removed the final piece from her mouth. Libby smiled. How could he have gotten through two weeks without that smile?

"Thanks."

Exactly the right thing to say.

House beamed at her. Just then, Cuddy walked in. As soon as she saw Libby awake and able to talk she screamed, rushed over, and practically suffocated Libby with a hug. House could hear her muttering something into Libby's shoulder. Apparently, she believed too.

Libby got even more confused by this. She looked back and forth from the two adults, silently questioning their extremely moist-eyes. She briefly remembered the time House made her sit through all the "Star Wars" movies. She was bored out of her mind, so she had made him practice Jedi mind powers with her. She of course didn't believe in them, but it was fun to mess with his mind on occasion. But he played along and obviously hadn't been practicing since then.

"Soooo…what' new with you?"

Suddenly it occurred to House that Libby didn't know what had happened during the last…was it two weeks? It seemed like a lifetime.

He looked at Cuddy. She seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Libby, what's the last thing you remember?"

It didn't take Libby a half-second to answer. "A pretty lady with brown hair, green eyes, and skin like mine, all creamy. Allie. I liked her."

House gasped. She saw Allie? My Allie? Not my Allie, can't be my Allie. Oh man, I gotta sit down. I gotta stand up. I gotta get out of here.

House practically ran out of there. Cuddy half-smiled and turned back to Libby, who was surveying her room.

"This wasn't where I was before."

Cuddy smiled for real and took a seat at the foot of the bed. "Let me start from the beginning." Libby smiled and sat Indian-style, just like she always did when she knew she was about to hear a good story. Cuddy told the whole thing, starting from the fight she and House had had (minus the fight…she actually just said that the two were having an "intense discussion" when suddenly they heard a lot of beeps) up to post-heart transplant complications. Cuddy was surprised at how much Libby was able to understand…but then again, she really wasn't.

"And that lady that I remember…that was my mom, right?"

Cuddy was shocked. I didn't say a word about Cameron…how did she know?

"Yes, that was your mom."

Libby smiled. "She was beautiful."

Cuddy nodded. "Yes, she was."

Libby pressed her hand to her heart. She felt its beat. Cuddy laughed a little bit. "Sound different?"

"Yeah, just a little. I wonder whose it is."

Cuddy stroked her face. She was spoke quietly, absorbed in her own thoughts on the matter. "Me too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Six months, what seemed like a million rounds of chemo, and what seemed like a billion rounds of radiation (House would never get over seeing that on his daughter) later Wilson was examining the latest X-Ray, and comparing them to all the other ones. All of them.

They were lined up, from oldest to the most recent, a perfect study of depression in black and white. Suddenly, Wilson slapped himself on the forehead. How did he not notice this when House was convinced his little girl was dying? How did he not notice this when Wilson was desperately searching for the teensiest ray of hope? How did he not notice this when he had seen Libby, practically collapsing because she was so exhausted from being sick from the chemo?

How did he not notice that this tumor, which had been haunting them for nine months now, a terrifying reminder that life was this incredibly fragile thing, was steadily shrinking?

Author's Note…Yay! Finally, a happy chapter! I have what, two of them now? It's a little chapter, a chapterette if you will…even as I'm posting this; I'm planning on writing another chapter tonight which includes a lot of comedy. By the way, how much are you loving all these mother/daughter moments between Cuddy and Libby? Oh, and another "by the way", I like this title a lot better. Review pretty please? With sugar on top? And ice-cream? Lots and lots of ice-cream?